A student is referred for consideration by teachers, counselors, administrators, parents/guardians, peers, self, or others with knowledge of student’s academic abilities. Students could be automatically referred if they score at specified levels on norm-reference tests. The local board of education establishes the score(s) needed for automatic referral.

What happens next?

Once a student is referred and parental consent is obtained, he/she begins testing in the areas of mental ability, achievement, creativity, and motivation. Testing typically takes 3-6 weeks to complete, depending on the age of the child. Younger students typically require more visits because they test in shorter increments. Keep in mind that students will miss class time in order to be tested for the Gifted program.

Results?

If a child is determined to be eligible for gifted services, he/she will receive 5 hours per week of service in the gifted resource classroom (PEP). Students miss one full day of their core content classes to attend PEP class. If the child is determined to be ineligible, testing results are filed and he/she can be retested two years later.

Does your child display these typical characteristics of Gifted children?

http://www.nsgt.org/giftedness-defined/

Gifted students are often perfectionist and idealistic.

Gifted students may experience heightened sensitivity to their own expectations and those of others.

Gifted students are asynchronous.

Some gifted students are “mappers” (sequential learners), while others are “leapers” (spatial learners).

Gifted students may be so far ahead of their chronological age mates that they know half the curriculum before the school year begins!

Gifted children are problem solvers.

Gifted students often think abstractly and with such complexity that they may need help with concrete study and test-taking skills.

Gifted students who do well in school may define success as getting an “A” and failure as any grade less than an “A”.